40-561: Clarence River may refer to: Clarence River (New South Wales) , in northern New South Wales, Australia Clarence River (Tasmania) , in southern Tasmania, Australia Clarence River (Alaska–Yukon) , rises in the Yukon Territory of Canada and crosses the border several times into the U.S. state of Alaska Waiau Toa / Clarence River , on the South Island of New Zealand Clarence (river) ,
80-575: A river located northwest of Sydney , New South Wales , Australia . The Hawkesbury River and its associated main tributary , the Nepean River , almost encircle the metropolitan region of Sydney. The river between Wisemans Ferry and the Pacific Ocean marks the boundary of Greater Metropolitan Sydney in the south and the Central Coast region to the north. The Hawkesbury River has its origin at
120-510: A significant number of meanders . Initially the river passes the towns of Richmond and Windsor , which are the largest settlements on the river. At Windsor, the river is joined by South Creek , which drains much of the urban runoff in Sydney's western suburbs that does not fall into the Parramatta River catchment. As it flows north, it enters a more rural area, with only small settlements on
160-465: A third crossing at Navua Reserve in Yarramundi , and at North Richmond , 50 metres from the current Richmond Bridge Site are causing public opposition. Activists do not believe that these bridges will alleviate traffic, citing that a North Richmond and Richmond by-pass is required. The Hawkesbury River is navigable from Windsor to the sea. There are no dams or locks on the river, and the effects of
200-560: A tributary of the Lys in northern France [REDACTED] Topics referred to by the same term This disambiguation page lists articles about distinct geographical locations with the same name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Clarence_River&oldid=1063119444 " Category : Place name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
240-520: Is an extensive east coast drainage with many tributaries of differing size. The 195km Clarence Canoe and Kayak Trail is the longest mapped whitewater trail in Australia. Its basin is, together with the very similarly-sized Hawkesbury , Australia's largest Pacific watershed south of Bundaberg . The extremely intense rainfalls that typify the North Coast mean, however, that major floods can temporarily raise
280-602: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Clarence River (New South Wales) The Clarence River ( Bundjalung : Boorimbah , Yaygir : Ngunitiji ) is a river situated in the Northern Rivers district of New South Wales, Australia. It rises on the eastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range , in the Border Ranges west of Bonalbo , near Rivertree at
320-566: Is situated on the river due to its importance in transporting sugar cane from farms in the surrounding area in previous times. Harwood is just after the Harwood Bridge on part of Australia 's National Highway from Sydney , Port Macquarie , Coffs Harbour to Brisbane . The freshwater reaches of the Clarence River support important populations of native freshwater fish including Eastern freshwater cod , an endangered fish species unique to
360-505: Is the operation of Australia's last riverboat postman , a river service that delivers mail to properties on the river between Brooklyn and Spencer. The Hawkesbury Canoe Classic , a 111 km canoe race, is held annually in October or November. The race starts at Windsor and finishes at Brooklyn . The Bridge to Bridge is a water ski race that is run in the opposite direction, from Dangar Island to Windsor . The Australian leg of
400-485: The Clarence Valley Council draws its name from the river and covers the lower half of the river valley. There are very few fixed crossings of the Clarence River. Going downstream, these include: Crossings over the south arm of the Clarence River are: Crossings over the north arm of the Clarence River are: Hawkesbury River The Hawkesbury River , or Hawkesbury-Nepean River ( Dharug : Dyarubbin )
440-548: The Hawkesbury and Nepean Wars , a series of skirmishes and battles between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the resisting Indigenous clans that took place between late 1780s and late 1810s. The Hawkesbury River was one of the major transportation routes for transporting food from the surrounding area to Sydney during the 1800s. Boats would wait in the protection of Broken Bay and Pittwater, until favourable weather allowed them to make
SECTION 10
#1732852845050480-614: The March 2021 Australian floods , with government ministers disagreeing on what needs to be done. Plans to replace the Windsor Bridge , and direct traffic through the historic Thompson Square caused significant community opposition culminating in the Community Action for Windsor Bridge (CAWB) movement. Despite this opposition, work on the replacement bridge was completed in May 2020. Plans for
520-573: The Clarence River system, and Australian bass . The Indigenous Bundjalung people call the river Boorimbah , while the coastal Yaygir people call it the Ngunitiji . The Aboriginal people from the Tenterfield district used the word neyand , meaning "top" as the name for the headwaters of the river. The river remained unknown to British authorities until the mid 1830s when escaped convict Richard Craig , who had been living with Aboriginal people in
560-575: The Coral Sea in the South Pacific Ocean, between Iluka and Yamba . On its journey it passes through the towns of Tabulam and Copmanhurst , the city of Grafton , and the towns of Ulmarra , and Maclean . The river features many large river islands, including Woodford , Chatsworth, Ashby, Warregah and Harwood islands; and Susan Island Nature Reserve . The river supports a large prawn trawling and fishing industry. The Clarence River system
600-556: The GIVE A DAM movement began to protect the ecological, historical and Indigenous heritage of the additional area prone to flooding due to the raising of the dam wall. A significant portion of the land to be inundated is located within the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area designated by UNESCO , which stated that this status could be revoked if parts of the world heritage area were to be submerged. Activists also claim that
640-596: The Hawkesbury River proper. Going downstream, these comprise: In the lower reaches of the river there are also a few passenger ferries that cross the river. These include the Palm Beach Ferry service from Palm Beach to Ettalong and Wagstaffe , and the Hawkesbury River Ferries service from Brooklyn to Dangar Island and Little Wobby . A list from 1829 made by Reverend John McGarvie includes
680-646: The Hawkesbury River, flow into Broken Bay and thence into the Tasman Sea north of Barrenjoey Head . The total catchment area of the river is approximately 21,624 square kilometres (8,349 sq mi) and the area is generally administered by the Hawkesbury–Nepean Catchment Management Authority. The land adjacent to the Hawkesbury River was occupied by Aboriginal peoples: the Darkinjung , Darug , Eora , and Kuringgai . They used
720-784: The Nepean. The Warragamba, formed by the joining of the Wollondilly River , the Nattai River , the Kowmung River and Coxs River drains a broad region of New South Wales on the eastern side of the Great Dividing Range . The other principal component of the upper Hawkesbury river system, the Grose River , rises in the area of Mount Victoria in the Blue Mountains. Once formed, the Hawkesbury River proper flows generally northwards, albeit with
760-787: The New South Wales state government released the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley Flood Risk Management Strategy, that proposed raising the height of Warragamba Dam by an additional 17 metres, using the Climate Change Mitigation Fund. It was claimed that this would reduce the risk of flooding to homes downstream along the Hawkesbury-Nepean river, that is the most at-risk region of Australia to devastating flooding, exacerbated by Global Warming . A large public opposition campaign culminating in
800-620: The Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series takes place in Hawkesbury. Windsor and also Dargle ski park on the Hawkesbury river each year hold a Circuit Boat race meeting with boats travelling from all over country According to the Hawkesbury Nepean Catchment Management Authority, the Hawkesbury River estuary supports the second-largest commercial coastal fishery of estuary prawns, oysters (prior to
840-668: The area, reported its existence. It was initially called the Big River , but this caused confusion as the Gwydir River in northern New South Wales was also colloquially known by this name. In November 1839 the Governor of New South Wales , George Gipps , officially changed the name to the Clarence River in honour of the previous King of the British Empire , William IV, 1st Duke of Clarence and St Andrews . The local government area of
SECTION 20
#1732852845050880-517: The chief industries are cattle rearing and the growing of sugar cane in lower-lying areas. Of particular interest is the small island town of Harwood, where a Sperry New Holland factory and a quaint Bush Pub overlook the Clarence delta. Harwood is also the location of the local sugar mill, the Harwood Sugar Mill built in 1873 and is the oldest Australian mill still operational. The sugar mill
920-523: The coast typically ranges from around 220 millimetres (8.7 in) in February and March to around 70 millimetres (2.8 in) in September; it can average as low as 40 millimetres (1.6 in) between May and September inland, where exposed areas sometimes suffer bushfires after droughts , as occurred in 1915 and 2000. During Cyclone Oswald , the Clarence was subject to minor flooding, brought about due to
960-484: The confluence of the Nepean River and the Grose River , to the north of Penrith and travels for approximately 120 kilometres (75 mi) in a north–easterly and then a south–easterly direction to its mouth at Broken Bay , about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from the Tasman Sea . The Hawkesbury River is the main tributary of Broken Bay. Secondary tributaries include Brisbane Water and Pittwater , which, together with
1000-507: The flow of the Clarence to 24 feet, as happened in 1890. The climate of most of the basin is subtropical ( Köppen Cfa ), though the highest areas with cooler weather are of the temperate Cfb type. Annual rainfall ranges from 1,600 millimetres (63 in) on the coast at Yamba down to 1,080 millimetres (43 in) in the shielded valley at Grafton (BOM Grafton Olympic Pool). At higher altitudes, rainfall may reach 2,000 millimetres (79 in) on exposed slopes but data are very poor. Most of
1040-605: The high areas actually receive no more rain than Grafton though variability from year to year is less. Temperatures are generally very warm, with maxima in lower area ranging from 27 °C (81 °F) in January to 19 °C (66 °F) in July. In the highlands, however, temperatures are much cooler and in July range from lows of around 2 °C (36 °F) to maxima around 13 °C (55 °F) - though in January days remain very warm at around 25 °C (77 °F). Rainfall per month on
1080-502: The junction of Koreelah Creek and Maryland River , on the watershed that marks the border between New South Wales and Queensland. It flows generally south, south east and north east, and is joined by twenty-four tributaries including Tooloom Creek and the Mann , Nymboida , Cataract , Orara , Coldstream , Timbarra , and Esk rivers. It descends 256 metres (840 ft) over the course of its 394-kilometre (245 mi) length and empties into
1120-469: The lower Hawkesbury to Mangrove Creek, upper Hawkesbury, inland Hunter and lower Blue Mountains. Also known on the banks of the river were the Eora and Guringai people. In 1789 two expeditions explored the Hawkesbury to the northwest of Sydney and the Nepean River to the southwest. It took about three years to realise they had discovered the same river system. Hawkesbury River was one of the pivotal positions of
1160-431: The ocean journey to Sydney Heads . With the opening of the railway from Sydney to Windsor in 1864, farm produce could be shipped upriver for onward transportation by train. However, by the 1880s the river had become silted up between Sackville and Windsor, and Sackville became the head of navigation for sea-going vessels. Until the end of the 19th century coastal steamers linked Sackville to Sydney. The Hawkesbury River
1200-570: The place names used by the Aboriginal people along the river, including the name of the river itself Dyarubbin . An alternative spelling of the Aboriginal name for the river was published as Deerubbun in 1870. The two main Aboriginal tribes inhabiting the area were the Wannungine of the coastal area on the lower reaches (below Mangrove Creek) and the Darkinyung people , whose lands were extensive on
1240-471: The raising of the dam wall will give rise to additional developments downstream, which are currently not allowed to build on floodplains with a risk of a one-in-hundred-year flood. They also claim that any raising of the dam wall will be ineffective at flood mitigation, as the Warragamba River only contributes around 15% of water volume to the Hawkesbury-Nepean system. This issue has again been raised after
Clarence River - Misplaced Pages Continue
1280-576: The river as a source of food and a place for trade. In the languages of the traditional custodians the river is Deerubben or Dyarubbin . In March 2021, the river level rose, and many areas were flooded as part of the March 2021 Australian floods . The headwaters of the Hawkesbury River, the Avon River , the Cataract River , and the Cordeaux River , rise only a few kilometres (miles) from
1320-497: The river from the late 1800s to 2011. Tourism is also a significant industry in the Clarence Valley generating around A$ 457million per annum and employing around 2500 people. Most of the Clarence basin is heavily forested, with important areas of remnant subtropical and temperate rainforest occurring all along the course. Only in alluvial areas where soils are less leached is there major agricultural development: in these areas
1360-424: The river from the north. From here to the river mouth, road access to the river is limited to a few points. At Milsons Passage , the river is joined by Berowra Creek from the south. In the area around Brooklyn the river is crossed by the major road and rail services that follow the coast north from Sydney. The river finally reaches the ocean at Broken Bay . From the confluence of the Nepean and Grose Rivers to
1400-608: The river. On this stretch it passes Sackville and Lower Portland , where it is joined by the Colo River . The Colo River and its tributaries drain the northern section of the Blue Mountains. From Lower Portland, the Hawkesbury River continues flowing northwards to the small community of Wisemans Ferry where it is joined by the Macdonald River . Here its course turns eastwards and the surrounding landscape gradually becomes steeper and more rugged. At Spencer , Mangrove Creek joins
1440-469: The sea, about 80 kilometres (50 mi) south of Sydney. These streams start on the inland-facing slopes of the plateau which forms the escarpment behind Wollongong . Flowing north-west, away from the sea, these streams combine to form the Nepean River, and flow north past the towns of Camden and Penrith . Near Penrith, the Warragamba River emerges from its canyon through the Blue Mountains and joins
1480-432: The sea, the Hawkesbury River has a total length of some 120 kilometres (75 mi). Islands in the Hawkesbury River include, in order going downstream are Barr Island , Milson Island , Snake Island , Peat Island , Spectacle Island , Long Island , Dangar Island and Lion Island . Despite forming the effective boundary of the metropolitan region of Sydney for its entire length, there are very few fixed crossings of
1520-507: The storm's residual effects and associated monsoon trough that passed over parts of Queensland and New South Wales. At Grafton, the river peaked at a new record height of 8.1 metres (27 ft). Two years earlier, the river peaked 7.6 metres (25 ft), forcing the evacuation of 3000 people from their homes. On both occasions, the city's levee was credited with preventing more severe flooding. The local historical society has published an account of newspaper reports documenting flooding of
1560-399: The tide are felt as far as Windsor. Whilst use of the river to carry farm produce and other goods has now largely been superseded by road transport, the river remains the only form of access to a significant number of isolated homes and communities. This is especially true in the lower reaches of the river, where the steep and rugged terrain inhibits road construction. One consequence of this
1600-732: Was given its present name by Governor Phillip in June 1789, after Charles Jenkinson, 1st Earl of Liverpool , who at that time was titled Baron Hawkesbury, after the Cotswolds village of Hawkesbury Upton in England, where the Jenkinsons still live. An obelisk was unveiled in 1939 at Brooklyn to commemorate the naming. In 1794, 22 families were granted land at Bardenarang, now known as Pitt Town Bottoms, near Windsor. In that same year, confrontations between Aboriginal people and settlers broke out. In May 2017,
#49950